Method of and apparatus for concentrating ores



1. M. "cALLow. l METHOD OF'ND APPARATUSTOR CONCENTRAKIING ORS. j

.Patented Jim. 2?;1920.y

` 1. M, CALLow. METHOD O FAND 'PPARATUS FOR CDNCENTRATI'NG OHS.

APPLICATION FlLED-PRJ, 1914.

Patented Jan. 27,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 511.00m To@ LZOMJ."

@Moz/Mu v o o o o o o o o Mwwlw 1M o o maw, m., o :Whip: Mouw M RMN OG 0.6000-0O00 I Witwe/Adela Lawu-lr entre s'rs r u rarer..

Jenn ivi. eaLLow, or SALT mman"ciauz, UTAH, Assisivon, BY ivinsnn assicuri/mitre, 'ro- PNEUMATIC PROCESS' FLOTATION COMPANY, 0F .NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPRATIN OF DELAWARE.

-METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING CRES.

Specication of Letters Patent. l, 'l Patented Jann. 2"?,

Application iiled April 1, i914. SerialNO. 828,805.

. ing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt, .Lake and ,St-z te of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods lof and Apparatus for Concentrating Orcs, of which the Ik[following is a Speciication. i

My invention relates. to a method of and apparatus for concentrating metallic oi-'es by separating the" metallic particles from' the barren or rcky constituents thereof and the inventioii`cons'ists of the method and the .parts and the Constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts which l will hereinafter fully describe and claim. ln. the accompanying drawing. forming a 'part of 'this speciiication and in which similar letters lof reference indicate like parts in the several views g- Figure l is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view of an ore concentrating apparatus embodying the salient features of my invention.

Fig, 2 is a top plan View or' the sanie,.

showing certain of the parts on'iit-ted.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. Il is a front elevation.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are modifications of. the porous medium hereinafter described.

In said drawings, the tank, A, may have anyv suitable dimensions, as to its length, height and width, these depending upon its capacity, and said tank may be formed ot,

any suitable material. l consider angle'- iron'and sheet iron as well adapted for the construction of the tank and accordingly, l hare shown this material in the drawings. The tank has parallel sides, a., and, therefore, it is of uniiiormwidth from front to rear, and at equal distances along each ofl these sides yare arranged vertical guides, to which are fitted the vertically-disposed plates, @which constitute baiiies and which may be raised and lowered to inciea'sebr dccrease the space below their lower edges.

-'l`he arrangement described is suchthat the baiiiescombined withthe sides ofthe tank forni a seriesof chambers or compart j ments in the tank which communicate with` each other through the space formed under the lower edges of the baliies.v i

'The tank-has a bottom, ,'lwhich slopes ter with the upper section, A, having fitted s,

to it the aforesaid battles and being open at the bottom; the lower section, A2, is rigid with the 'bottom proper whichis suitably spaced below the battles and to which bottom the leg-sockets, e', are bolted or other- Awise secured, as shown in Fig. l, the two sections of lthe shell being secured together in any suitable manner.

At one end, say the rear, the tank is pro vided with an opening or passage, g, into y which the pulp is received -trom any suitable source. This pulp may be of the character usually employed in the buoyant processes, namely, a mixture of mineral-bearing pulp, and a rothable agent having a preferential atlinity 'for lmet-alliterous matter. The pulp upon. its being ieceived. into the pas sage, g, is delivered into a pocket or chamber, h, formed at the rear end of the cell, and communicating upwardly through the bottom of the iirst compartment, or chamber ot said tank, thus permitting the pulp to successively enter the compartments of the tank from below and under the several baiiies, the pulp gradually filling` the vcoinpartments or chambers ont the tank until the proper level has been reached.

On. the inside of the bottom or the cell and which bottom is arranged at an incline, as before stated, are riveted or otherwise secured suitable angle-iron or other upright members, 1'., which, with the side walls of the bottom section, A2, of the cell constitute independent cells, 7c, each lof which underlies one of the pulp-containing compartments or chambers of the tank. The several cells, 7c, are designed as receivers for'air, gas or vapor, under pressure, and .in order that the same may be delivered into the separate compartments oi the tank overly 'ing the air cells and may be admitted into the pulp in such manner to form a satisfactory roth,ioam or suds, l prefer that the top ofeach air cell shallbe substantiallya porous medium, L through which the air,

gas, or vapor, underp'rcssure', in thecell below, will escape in innumerable ne streams,

or jets, this being for the purpose of producing a froth composed of bubbles of air, gas or vapor having an envelop or covering of oily matter, to which the mineral particles in the pulp have an affinity and will attach.

The porous medium may be of any suitable character and construction; porous brick, as shown in Fig. l, or a layer of fine sand 10, Fig. 5, between two restraining layers of screen cloth, l1 or layers 12 of fibrous material laid one above the other as in Fig. 6, such as cocoa matting, or porous wood, as bass wood, or one or more' layers, 13, Fig. 7, of any suitable fibrous material, as canvas or filtering cloth, capable of subdividing the air, gas, or vapor into more or less irregular jets of infinite number and fineness may be used and are within the scope of my invention.' The character of the porous material employed is unimportant eX- cept that it shall have the function of permitting air introduced into the'cell to be discharged'through t'he pores of the material, and into the body of pulp in the chamber above, with the result that immediately upon the introduction ofthe air into fthe.

pulp a froth, foam or suds'begins tof'form and to rise and collect on the surface of the pulp contents, which froth, foam or suds gradually increases in volume and density as the action proceeds.

' AIt Will-be understood that this "frothing or foaming action occurs in each .of the chambers of which the tank is composed and that there may be as many of these chambers as desired, this depending upon the capacity of the apparatus. Y

It isl alsoapparenu-that the volume of air, gas, or vapor admitted into each of the compartments may. be so regulated as to provide just that amount which is required for the capacity or size ofitheeh'amfber formed iuthe compartment immediately above a particular air-cell," which may be ldesirablev because as before stated, "the compartments of the tank increaseviln size from the inlet to-.the discharge end ofthe tank and conse-- quentlythe amountof air, gas, or vapor required for the larger chambers will bein excess of that which' may -be necessary for; ,'the`fsmaller chambers; the volume of'l air admitted into each 'compartmentof themain tank will, therefore; be underl pressure silbstantiallyequai to the hydraulic head of the liqui'dcontents. l

That the pressure'of theA air, gas,l or vapor may be regulated/td obtain the desired results, each air-cellv or compartment is supplied wi'th the `a1r,`g a,s, y'or vapor throughthe medium of a valve-controlled pipe, n,

the:se' ,v'eral pipes of the cell in turn connecting Vwith :tjr-supply pipe, Q,-receiving its su ply froml any suitable source. f

he upper sides of the tanki ape' provided with lateral discharge lips or anges, 'pg over desired :mannerl which the accumulating froth, foam or suds .propriate launder or launders, Q, extending along one or both sides of the main tank and having an inclined bottom anda discharge, g at one end through which the froth or the broken down concentrated fluid may be delivered for further treatment, Sor sent to any suitable receiver.

As lbefore stated, the tank has an inclined bottom and the porous medium through which the air is delivered into the pulp is likewise inclined and the purpose of this will be understood from the following:

The material admitted into the tank through the passage, g, is first received into the pocket or chamber, h, at the rear end of the tank, just backof the first air-cell,

cells and gradually fills the several compart-f` .4

ments of the tank to the proper level.

the pulp Hows down the inclined surfaceofwv the porous medium during the filling proc-` ess, the coarser particles of material too heavy to be raised bythe pressure of air, gas, or vapor emitted through the porous mediumwill naturally graviate down the incline to the discharge of the bottom of the same and into a well or receiver, r, at the discharge end and from which well these coarser particles may be removed in any The well or receiver, r, forms a collecting chamber for the eventual disch-arge of the coaise particles, said cham- 'ber having, in practicea suitable plug or coclgor other means for restricting the discharge to approximately correspond to the "feed, 'Ilhat this may be better understood itwillnbe observed that the tank.is fitted with ain overflow pipe, 2, which is designed to be adjustable' and is used for maintaining a definite pulp level within the tankby discharging through this overflow pipe. the fines and surplus materia-l which is in excess of the amount discharged from the Well or receiver.- The coarsest material and sandy portions thereof are discharged through the I plug or cock controlling the discharge from the well or receiver and the lighter and slimy material and any excess over and above that which cannot pass through the plug or cock is discharged through the overflow pipe, before-mentioned. y

Should there be anyl tendency of the coarseV sands or other material to settle upon the porous medium, the velocity of the air, gas, or vapor discharged against this coarse material issufiicient'togive a slight movement to thc particles and, this movement, plus themore or less steeply-inclined floor formed the upper surface of the porous medium,

will result in these coarser particles being maintained under movement and gravitating to the y discharge end and into the well or.

settlingchamber, before mentioned.

As the sands removed from one portionof kthe porous medium gravitate overthe surface .theyfconie into contact with the .sands which have lodged or tendeto lodgey upon ot'l'ierloyver portions of the material ofthe porous medium and this gives movement to these` latter sands so that in the aggregate. these coarser sands are caused-to be automatically removed and the surface of theV porous medium is kept substantially clean for the discharge of the air, gas, or vapor,

p and there is no possibility of the sands and .fine slimes settling upon and forming a blanket for ,said porous material. The tank may be supplied with such other accessories as may be found desirable in the carrying out of theseveral operations to the tank in the Ldirection of pulp flow to' which such a cell is subjected without departing from the salient features of the" present invention..

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is v 1L In apparatus of the character described, a tank having a chamber in its bottom to receive a gaseous fluid under pressure, said i tank adapted to retain a deep body if mineral-bearing pulp and a frotliable agent,

and said chamber having a porous upper surface permitting the passage of the gaseous fluid butinot liquid or pulp, said surface extending at an incline substantially across facilitate'the` displacement and removal by the aid of gravity .of coarse material having a tendency to settle on said surface`zr and blanket the fluid outlets thereof.

2. In apparatus-of the characterdescribed, a tank adapted to retain a deep -b'ody of mineral-bearing pulp, said tank havingA a subdivided chamber in its bottom to receive gaseous fluid under pressure, said chamber tle on said surface and blanket the fluid out-1 lets thereof.- Y 1 3. In apparatus of the character describecbf 5E; a tankada'pted to v retain a deep 'body of'.

, being 'deliveredinto the tank from below in having la porous upper surface permitting the passage of the-gaseous fluidibut' not liquid or pulp, and arranged atan incline to facilitate the displacement and removal of coarsematerial having a tendency to set- .inineral-hearing pulp 'and aV frothable agent, said'tank havinga bottom declining 'from' the vinlet end tothe discharge'end and said bottom having a chamber into which `a eousfluid yis admitted under pressure, said chamber having a porous uppersurface per mittinN thepassage ofthe gaseous fluid ,but

not the liquid or pulp, saidV gaseous fluid innumerable fine streams.

tom havingr a chamber into which a gaseous 4f. In apparatus of the character described,

'a compartment tank adapted to receive a mineral-bearpulp and a frothable agent, said tank having va bottom declining from u the inlet to the discharge end, and said botsu fluid is admittedv under pressure, said cham- .'ber having a porous upper surface permit-v vting the passage of the gaseous fluid but not liquid or pulp, said gaseouslluid being delivered into the compartments of the tank from below in innumerable fine streams, said chamber being sub-divided into cells `with a' cell underlying each of the compartments of the tank.. y l

5. In apparatus of the character described, a tank having a chamber in its bottom to .receive a gaseous fluid under pressure, said tank having an inclined bottom andan inlet at one ,endv and said `chamber terminating short of the 'inlet end of the tank to form a receiving `pocket for incoming material, the upper surface `of the chamber" being of a porous nature adapted .to permit the pas# sage of gaseous lfluid but not liquidzorpulp, so

and said surface being inclined to facilitatevv the displacement and removal by the aid of gravity of any coarse material having a tendency to settle on said surface and blanket the fluid outlet-s thereof. l

6. In apparatus of the character described,

`a tank having a hollow bottom declining from the inlet toward the' outlet end 'of' the tank, means for' sub-dividing the tank into compartments, means for sub-dividing the hollow, bottom linto cells corresponding to said compartments, e'ach'of said cells having an upper surface 4composed of-a porous medium adapted to permitV the passage of .Gaseous fluid but ndt liquid or pulp, 'means for admitting into said cells a gaseous fluid "under pressure, said' fluid -being emitted through the porous medium and into the tank in the form of innumerable fine streams kadapted to aerate the contents of the tank 11) '-liollowbottom into cellszcorresponding to i said compartments, each of said cells having an upper surface composed of a porous medium adaptedjto permit the passage of gaseous Huid but not liquid or pulp, means for 126 admitting into said cells a gaseous fluid und'ei" pressure, said fluid being emittcdtlirough.

-the 'porous medium and; into the -tank in .the form of innumerable Vfine streams adapt- -cd to aerate the vcontents of. thetank and .to displace and to assist gravity in remow ing from the upper surface of the cell the coarse material which has a tendency to settle thereon and blanket the fluid outlets thereof, saidtank having at Vthe discliarge end means for receiving the displaced coarse material. c

8. In apparatus of the character described, a tank adapted to retain a deep body of mineral-bearing pulp, said tank having a chamber in its bottom to receive a gaseous fluid under pressure, said chamber having a porous upper surface arranged at an incline to facilitate the displacement and removal by the aid of gravity of coarse material having a tendency to settle on said surface and blanket the fluid outlets thereof, said surface adapted to ,permit the passage of the gaseous fluid but not Aliquid or pulp, said tank having an inlet at one end and havlng an overflow at the upper portion.

9.. In an apparatus for separating the n'letalliferous from the non-metalliierous ingredients of an ore mass, the combination of an elongated pulp receptacle, means for feeding thereto an ore pulp 'containing Water and ingredients of both of the said sorts, vertically adjustable means for dividing the said body of pulp into a series oi' pulp masses the upper parts of which are separated each from the next and the lower parts of which are inter-communicating successively, means for supplying bodies of air at different pressures along the longitudinal lines of the pulp body, means for conlining the bubbles generated a-t one part of the machine longitudinallv and causing them to pass to and through the surface of the liquid While separated from the bubbles which pass through another part of the liquid, means for feeding the pulp fluid at one end of the receptacle and means for discharging fluid at planes below the top plane of the y pulp Huid.

10. 'The herein described method for separating the metalliferous from the non-metalliferous ingredients -of an ore mass, consisting in forming a pulp of said ore vingreclients and water, causing the pulp to flow through a receptacle and form therein a pulp body of gradually increasing depth, delivering to the said pulp body at dilerent horizontal planes bodies of air of different pressures, forming therewith bubbles, causing the bubbles to rise for varying distances through the pulp, adhere 'to' and elevate the metalliferous particles, causingthe metalladen bubbles to flow laterally at 'approximately the top of the pulp, .and collecting them and the concentrates thereby carried.

11. The herein described method for separating the-mctalliferous from the non-metalliferous ingredients, of an ore mass, consisting in forming a pulp composed of the said ore ingredients and water, causing the said pulp to flow through areceptacle'and formtherein a body of pulp. of gradually inreiaslng depth, supplying to the said pulp o of bodies of air increasing gradually in pressure from the pulp feeding end of the body to the discharge end, forming masses of bubbles'with the air of each of said bodies,

y at a series of horizontal planes a series causing the said bubbles-to rise through the said pulp to flow through a receptacle and form therein a .pulp bpdy of gradually increasing depth, dividing the pul body into a series of sections longitudina ly thereof, supplying bodies of air of relatively low pressure to the shallower sections of the pulp, and other bodies of air of relatively higher pressure to the deeper sec-tions of the pulpv body, formingbubbles at the bottom of the pulp body from each of said bodies of air, causing the said 'bubbles to rise through the pulp and engage with and elevate the metalliferous particles, and causing the bubbles at the top of the pulp to escape from the vertical lines of the said body and collecting the bubbles and the concentrates carried thereby. y

13. The herein described method for separating the metalliferous from the non-metalliferous ingredients of an ore mass, consisting -in forming a pulp containing the said ore ingredients and water, causing the said pulp to flow through a receptacleand form therein apulp body of gradually increasin thickness, supplying at different horizonta planes bodies of air` varying the pressure of the said bodies of air respectively and independently, causing the air of the saidbodies to form bubbles, causing the bubbles of the several sets to travel upward through the mass on paths of varying `lengths and to adhere to and elevate themetalliferous particles and collecting the metal-laden bubbles and the concentrates at different points longitudinally of the pulp mass.\ .l

14. The herein described method, for separating the metallilerous from the nonmetalliferous ingredients of an ore mass, consisting in forming a pulp composedof the said orc ingredients and water, causing the said pulp to flow, through a receptacle and form therein a. pulp body of gradually increasing depth, variably dividin Athe said pulp body longitudinally into eac of several masses at the top thereof, the lower parts of the the metalliferous. from `the nonpulp body being in communication with each other, delivering air in a series of bodies of different pressures to the different parts, feeding pulp to the said body in e continuous stream, and withdrawin water from the said body at a horizonta Cplane below the top surface plane of the flui 15. The herein described method for sepa.- rating themetalliferous from the non-metalliferous ingredients' of an ore mass, consisting in forming pulp thereof with water, causing the said pulp to flow through a chamber having an inclined bottom through which the pulp ows from a place of supply to a place of discharge, dividing the said ulp mass into sections vertically, introduclng` air under pressure from points outside of the said pulp mass to the bottom thereof at differing horizontal planes corresponding to the aforesaid sections, forming bubbles of relatively large diameter, causin the said bubbles to unite with the metalli erous particles and carrying them tothe surface ofthe pulp mass, and then causing them to flow laterally over the sides at the top thereof and collecting them substantially as set forth.

16. The herein described method for separating the metalliferousfrom the non-metalliferous ingredients of an ore mass, consisting in formmga pulp comprising the said ingredients and water, causing the said ulp to flow through a receptacle and form t erein a pulp body which gradually increases in depth, said pulp body having its toplevel in a horizontal plane below the plane where the level can be held, supplying to the bottom parts of the said pulp body a series of air bodies of differing pressures gradually increasing along the longitudinal lines of the pulp body, forming bodies of bubblesl lwith the said differing bodies of air, causing the said bubbles to rise through the pulp body for gradually increasing distances to the top ofthe pulp iuid, formingcon- 4the differing columns and the concentrates carried thereby.

17. In a mechanism for concentrating ores and separating the metalliferous from the,

non-metalliferous particles, the combination of a relatively elongated and narrow recep. ta'cle, means for supplying a pulp fluid thereto, means for permitting the escape of fluid therefrom and variablyl positioning the j I normal hydrostaticlevel t ereof at elther of several horizontal planes below the top plane of the receptacle, an inclined` bottom wall for the receptacle whereby an interior chamber in the receptacle is provided with a depth gradually increasing from thereceiving end to the discharge end, means for forcing air under predetermined' prem through the bottom w'all of the receptacle' for the forming of bubbles impositions where they are permitted to rise through the' pulp- 18. In a frothing classifier, a tankand; means for admitting air to said tank, said means comprising a series of air chambers arranged at different levels and -means for supplying air to the several chambers at dfferent pressures, respectively.'

19. In a frothing classifier, a tank and means for admitting air to said tank, said means comprising a series. of air chambers with tops composed of crousf plates, said chambers being arran and means for supplylng air to the several at diierent levels,

chambers at dierent pressures, respectively.

In testimony whereof- I allix my signature in prese-nce of two wltnesse't- Witnesses:

FRANK H. BLACK, JNO Mmm?.

JOHN M. cALLoW. 

